OIPA Recommendations on Procedures, Practices, and Training:

One of OIPA's important responsibilities is to develop specific recommendations concerning General Orders and Directives, procedures, practices, and training of the BART Police Department. These recommendations have as their goal improved professionalism, safety, effectiveness, and accountability of BART Police Department employees. OIPA's recommendations are reviewed with the Chief of Police and presented to the BART Police Citizen Review Board for review and comment. Depending on the response received, OIPA may then make additional modifications to its recommendation prior to issuance.

On September 30, 2013 OIPA submitted a draft recommendation to the BART Police Citizen Review Board regarding a portion of BART Police Department Policy 300 - Use of Force. You can see the final recommendation issued by OIPA here: OIPA Recommendation for BPD Policy 300 – Use of Force.

On June 30, 2014 OIPA submitted a draft recommendation to the BART Police Citizen Review Board regarding the implementation of new BART Police Department Policy 1021 - Complaint Mediation Program. This recommendation was the product of collaboration between OIPA, the BART Police Citizen Review Board, and the BART Police Associations (as required by the BART Citizen Oversight Model), as well as the BART Police Department. The final recommendation issued by OIPA attempted to account for the interests of each of these parties, and you can see it here: OIPA Recommendation for BPD Policy 1021 – Complaint Mediation Program.

On October 13, 2014, and in response to a request initiated by the BART Police Citizen Review Board, OIPA submitted a draft proposal for the creation of a new policy to address interactions between BART Police Department employees and individuals identifying as transgender. The draft proposal underwent a series of modifications over the next few months as the BART Police Citizen Review Board, the Professional Standards Bureau of the BART Police Department, as well as the BART Police Associations all collaborated with OIPA on the language. The final recommendation was submitted by OIPA to the BART Police Citizen Review Board, which voted to approve it. You can see the final recommendation here: Policy Recommendation – Interactions with Individuals Identifying as Transgender.

On February 22, 2017 OIPA submitted a draft recommendation to the BART Police Department regarding BPD Policy 453 - Aggressive Panhandling. The draft revision was inspired and conceived after OIPA review of enforcement contacts related to California Penal Code §647(c). The final OIPA recommendation was developed with significant input from Bay Area District Attorneys, and review and input from BPD command staff, the BART Police Citizen Review Board (BPCRB), the BART Police Officers Association, the BART Police Managers' Association, and a number of advocates and scholars including the San Francisco-based Coalition on Homelessness. The draft revision was presented to the BPCRB at its regular meeting on February 13, 2017, and that body voted unanimously to accept the proposed draft. You can see the final recommendation issued by OIPA here: OIPA Recommendation for BPD Policy 453 - Aggressive Panhandling.